Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) has been awarded contracts by Pilatus Aircraft to supply its latest generation CMA-9000 Flight Management System, SparrowHawk HUD sub-system as well as its Up Front Control Panel for fleets of PC-21 turboprop training aircraft selected by two international customers. The CMA-9000 and SparrowHawk have been selected by all current PC-21 fleet operators.
SkyVector launched it World FBO Directory on the company online chart viewer. Pilots can view and use worldwide aeronautical charts, graphical weather depictions and flight planning tools. The FBO Directory integrates into SkyVector's mapping interface displaying real-time fuel prices on the charts in relevant currencies and units of measure. Users can filter for FBO features and facilities including participation in fuel card programs or amenities offered.
Dubai, UAE-based Jetex Flight Support opened a new flight-planning lounge at London Oxford Airport that was scheduled to be operational in mid-February. Jetex is taking over one of the FBO's crew lounges and rebranding it as the “Jetex Lounge” with new furnishings, signage, aeronautical charts and pictures, and world time-zone clocks. Jetex-supplied computers will link directly to their flight-planning systems while also hosting generic flight-planning software packages for crews to do stand-alone assessments of route options.
Bombardier named ExecuJet Nigeria in Lagos a Line Maintenance Facility (LMF) for Challenger 300, Challenger 604,Challenger 605, Global 5000, Global 6000, Global Express and Global Express XRS business jets. Bombardier says the Lagos facility will complement ExecuJet's center in Lanseria, South Africa, which has been a Bombardier Authorized Service Facility (ASF) since 2002. The announcement brings the number of Bombardier ASFs and LMFs to more than 60 facilities worldwide. These are supported by nine Bombardier-owned service centers in North America and Europe.
General aviation advocates are working to help regrow membership in the General Aviation caucuses in the U.S. House and Senate. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen recently issued an “action call” urging his members to appeal to their local lawmakers to join the caucuses. “The caucuses will be vital in the coming year, as those serving in the 113th Congress face a policy environment that could have repercussions for general aviation,” Bolen tells members.
Congratulations to Features Editor David Esler on the excellent article “NOTAMs in Transition” (January 2013, page 24). I am operations manager in the Frankfurt office of the European AIS Database (EAD), a Eurocontrol service that deals inter alia with 1,000 to 2,500 NOTAMs/SNOWTAMs/ASHTAMs daily. I also have worked on several publications with the intent of harmonizing NOTAM procedures and to make them more user friendly. One of the most popular papers is the “OPADD” (Operating Procedures for AIS Dynamic Data), of which I was one of the authors.
User charges stand a fair chance of enactment — “We are much more hopeful about this program than in the past,” one tope official told BCA. The administration is asking for a three-cent-per-gallon general aviation fuel tax (one cent more than the current rate), an extension of the two-cent-per-gallon airline tax to jet fuels, and a continuation of the present “temporary” 5% passenger ticket and air-freight waybill levy, to be effective next January 1.
The Gulfstream Aerospace facility in Lincoln, Calif. is now an Authorized Service Station for Howell Instruments' products including ITT, EPR, fuel flow and fanspeed indicators as well as fan speed amplifiers, tachmoters, and Howell's AUTOTemp and AUTOTAK indicators. Gulfstream notes that there are approximateley 900 Gulfstream GIVs, GIIIs and GIIs flying worlwide, most of which are equiped with Howell Instrument products. Gulfstream Lincoln is EASA and FAA certified to perform inspection and repair of electromechanical components, avionics, wheels, brakes and tires.
Sierra Industries delivered its 50th Citation Stallion upgrade with the Williams FJ-44-2A turbofan retrofit. The Uvalde, Texas firm also has delivered more than 20 Eagle 400 upgrades with FJ44-3A engines on Citation II and SII models. The No. 50 Stallion upgrade went to Howard Tobin, a director of the Citation Jet Pilots Association.
FlightSafety International is adding Bombardier Challenger 605 training its Greater Philadelphia/Wilmington Learning Center beginning in April. The Wilmington Learning Center currently houses 15 full-flight simulators that provide training for the Bombardier Challenger 300, Challenger 604 and Global Express; Dassault Falcon 50 and Falcon 900; Gulfstream GIV, GV, G200 and G550; Hawker Premier 1A, 700, 800XP; as well as the IAI Astra and Westwind aircraft.
Rarely has aviation history witnessed an era when so many large business jet engines have been simultaneously in development and battling for market share.
Kathleen E. Bangs (Honda Aircraft Co. Greensboro, N.C. )
I just read “The Alabama Bet” about Al Ueltschi (Viewpoint, December 2012). Very good, as always. And as always, I learned something — namely — the meaning of the word “macadam” (after I Googled it). Honda Aircraft Co. Greensboro, N.C.
In response to growing demand in Asia, Jet Aviation Singapore is building a maintenance hangar adjacent to its current FBO and maintenance operation in Seletar Aerospace Park. The hangars will be integrated and incorporate two stories of office space in addition to new battery, tire, upholstery and workworking shops, including two paint spray booths. The new hangar will have an arched roof tall enough to accommodate Boeing BBJ and Airbus ACJ aircraft.
Lufthansa Technik AG says it will close its Swiss operations in Basel April 30, eliminating 31 positions, and it will reorganize its German administrative structures, likely trimming 650 positions there. The Hamburg-based international MRO provider has already trimmed its production processes, for example, engine overhaul costs have been reduced by about 20%. Lufthansa Technik employs a total of 13,070 people at its German sites and 26,000 worldwide.
FL Technics Jets, provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services for business aviation, announced plans to triple its business with the ambitious aim of become the largest MRO center for business aviation in Europe.
While not yet officially Beechcraft Corp. as we go to press, the newly forming company that is emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection already has received a rating on expected new debt. Moody's Investor Service assigned a B1 corporate family rating to Beechcraft Holdings, LLC on a proposed $375 million term loan that will be used as part of its financing to exit from Chapter 11. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on Feb. 1 confirmed Hawker Beechcraft's reorganization plan, clearing the way for the company to emerge from bankruptcy.
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has added Aircraft flight Coordinator Training to its online training programming. The AFCT is a certificate program that provides core flight coordinator knowledge with an emphasis on safety and technical expertise to assist crews with in-depth planning.
Cockpit Apps, maker of the flight log app iLOG, launched it newest product — iFuel, a simple to use app allowing pilots to determine when to tanker fuel using an iPhone or iPad. Available through iTunes, the app helps take the guesswork out of tankering decisions by taking into account fuel prices at each destination, burn rate for the specific aircraft and ramp fees. It also will calculate fuel prices if ramp fees are waived. According to the company, operators can expect to save several thousand dollars by using the app depending on the flight profile.
Satcom Direct, a provider of satellite voice, fax, datalink and Internet communications solutions, has introduced its own Satcom Direct Router (SDR), a next-generation aircraft network router to enable business and military aviation customers to manage all cabin communications systems onboard their aircraft and simultaneously use multiple satellite connections. This allows simultaneous use of Inmarsat, SwiftBroadband, Swift 64, Ku-Band and Ka-Band satellite connections with intelligent traffic control, along with Wi-Fi access and 3G/4G cellular network connectivity.
NBAA advises that as of Feb. 7, ICAO rules require aircraft flying to Europe be equipped with Controller-Pilot Datalink Communications (CPDLC) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C) systems in order to access two preferred routes in the North Atlantic Organized Track System (NAT OTS). The association observes that only a fraction of business aircraft are equipped for the new requirement.
FlightSafety's release of its eLearning 2012/2013 Cold Weather Operations Course is available for the iPad. The course has been updated on an annual basis since it was first introduced six years ago. This interactive, rich media course can be taken either from a personal computer or an Apple iPad. A learning management system (LMS) tracks progress, so users can stop, resume the course and/or switch from a computer to an iPad. The system picks up from the last slide.
